When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I'm trying to raise DS to be respectful and friendly. We say hi to people walking down the street (not every single person ), we say hi to the cashiers, or people who say hi to him. But at what point or how do I teach him that it's great to be friendly but that you shouldn't trust everyone?

DS is 2, if that matters.

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I tell my 2 yo DD (who is sometime very friendly on her own) that "we don't know that person, we don't have to talk to them. They're a stranger." I say this if we're in the supermarket or restaurant and she is getting attention from random adults who have no business talking to my 2yo. We always say hi & bye to the cashiers, and waiter/waitress, and our neighbors.

I want her to be able to differentiate between strangers, and people (like cashiers) who I'd want her to trust if she ever got separated from me.

When do you start teaching stranger danger?

This is good, thank you.

When do you start teaching stranger danger?

We started at 2 and we talk about it frequently. I taught them to run away and yell that this is not there mommy. There was a show on that tested kids with having them go with an ice cream man. We watched it with them and we talk about it often. They really don't talk to strangers. I tell them they can if they are with me and daddy only. only I told them if they get lost look for someone who works there but also keep.saying you are looking for your mommy so other people will hear. They also know their last name, my husband's and my name an our telephone number. Along with address. We have workers on that since two. They will remember their phone number very easily if you put it to a song.

Message edited 7/26/2013 9:17:28 PM.

When do you start teaching stranger danger?

i started at 2 as well...now he is 4 and i get yelled out for talking to strangers by him

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I was just thinking about this the other day after I told my ds to say hi to a man walking down the street on a walk. My ds is 2 also and I think I will start now. Thanks!!

When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I've been talking about it since 15mos. We went away to the Caribbean and many people we encountered had no problem telling my son, "come here". Then he looked at me and my husband like, who is this? And we just kept saying, "that's right, we don't go to strangers. We yell out stranger danger!"

He's young still, but I really try and differentiate between when to be friendly and say hi.

Message edited 7/27/2013 5:48:18 AM.

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I just read this great article about teaching kids about "tricky people" rather than strangers. We already started with DD who is 2.5... let me find it for you.


ETA: Here it is:

TRICKY PEOPLE ARE THE NEW STRANGERS

Message edited 7/27/2013 7:56:00 AM.

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?

just please teach your children that all strangers are not dangerous, strangers are people we just don't know who they are.
There was a few articles about this...kids were getting lost and afraid to tell anyone cause they were strangers...

When do you start teaching stranger danger?

I just wanted to add on that they (law enforcement) also dont like to teach "stranger danger" anymore bc it gave the kids the image that only strangers in long black coats were dangerous. When the numbers show that most "danger" actually comes from someone they know. It was a high % of kids being hurt/abused from family or family friends more then "strangers". Just saying - if we are talking to our kids about "danger" dont limit it to only strangers will do something bad, and more about the importance of getting out of ANY situation they are not comfortable with. Wheather its a stranger on the street or Uncle Johnny in the basement.

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?

Re: When do you start teaching stranger danger?